Vera’s Journey
Published on 21/08/2024
Vera transforms setbacks into success through coding.
After joining CodeBrave, Vera started enjoying learning again and is now building a website for her first professional client.
“Coding lessons got me excited about learning again. At the end of every session, I can’t wait for the next one! Coding is fun and allows me to create whatever I want. The programme was a chance to make a real difference in my life.”
Vera joined our Web Dev Programme in November 2023. She has already mastered Python, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Last month, Vera started an internship with two other students, building a website for her village’s mill, their first professional client.
From Vera
“My name is Vera, and I am from the beautiful town of Aley. I’m 16, and I grew up in a small town with limited resources. Since I could remember, life has presented me with its fair share of hurdles, whether it was academic challenges or personal setbacks.
My dad works as a foreman on construction sites. In 2019, a couple of months before the revolution and the start of the economic crisis, he was badly hurt at work and couldn’t walk properly for 3 whole years after that. He lost his job and my family lost its only source of income. We were already struggling as a family of 5 but things got even harder after that. I was only 11 but I felt like my world crashed, even if my parents tried to shield me from reality.
Eventually, I had to move to a public school and that wasn’t easy. My new school is further away from my house so every day, I have to catch a ride with my neighbour who works there to go. I walk for 30 minutes to get back home, rain or shine. Academically, I was ahead of my new classmates so school became boring for me. It felt like an educational downgrade.
But I refused to let these obstacles define me. I chose to embrace them as opportunities to grow and learn. I chose to stay positive.
So I started enjoying the little things at school like how I now stress less over homework or like how I was able to build new friendships with others who were going through the same thing as I was. I started going to school 4 days instead of 5 so I chose to turn my downtime to learning time at home!
I have always loved discovering new subjects and learning. In 2022, my sister and her friend who both study ICT sent me a free platform to learn web development and I started playing around with that.
And last year, at the start of school, I stumbled upon CodeBrave. Our principal shared a link about some coding programme with us and without much thought, I filled in my name. The first quiz was hard but I completed it, unsure of what lay ahead. Then I forgot about the whole thing. It wasn’t until a friend at school mentioned receiving an email that I realised how badly I wanted to get in. Then, I got my email! I was very surprised to have been selected. And as soon as classes began, I knew then that CodeBrave wasn’t just another youth programme; it was a chance to make a real difference in my life.
I’ve been studying for 7 months now and yes I’ve learned many programming languages like Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript. But what has been amazing is that coding lessons have got me excited about learning again. At the end of every session, I can’t wait for the next one! I think that coding is super fun and allows me to create whatever I want.
Like for this cool website I built about the Seychelles. I’m really proud of this project because it was an opportunity for me not only to learn how to design a website but also to learn about another country and explore its arts and culture.
Each new challenge reminds us of the endless possibilities that lie ahead. I’ve made it through some already but I’ve learned that there’s always a rainbow after the storm.
Visit our Get Involved page for more details of how to support students like Vera.
NB: This blog, like all our blogs, has been published with the final review and consent of the student in question. The student’s name has been modified for child safeguarding purposes.